Scarlet Badis

[CJs Aquatics]

Hey all, odd question but does anyone happen to know the reason why importers typically only send males of these fish? (Scarlet Badis)

[DaniV]

Did a quick Google search on them, and my guess is that the males tend to be brightly colored while the females are blander by comparison.  The males are probably more in demand due to this, so the poor females get left behind.

[Guppysnail]

My loose understanding from when I got my group. 
Females run at the slightest disturbance. Males stay and defend territory. So mostly males are caught and females are long gone is my understanding. 
Another reason I heard was females are grey and not flashy so get tossed back when they are caught. 
Another reason I heard is females are tossed back so the wild population continues to thrive sustainably. One male can fertilize many females. 

[Rube_Goldfish]

On 8/9/2023 at 9:41 AM, Guppysnail said:

My loose understanding from when I got my group. 
Female run at the slightest disturbance. Males stay and defend territory. So mostly males are caught and females are king gone is my understanding. 
Another reason I heard was females are grey and not flashy so get tossed back when they are caught. 
Another reason I heard is females are tossed back so the wild population continues to thrive sustainably. One male can fertilize many females. 

Are most (all?) scarlet badis in the trade wild-caught?

[CJs Aquatics]

@Rube_Goldfish I would say (most). It’s because the opportunity to procure females is such a rarity that a majority of breeders have a hard time getting them started at all to be able to spread captive bred ones around…When I find them they are usually wild caught, and all males… 

[Lennie]

In Rachel O'Leary 's video she was mentioning that people say the females are rare due to not being collected but she thinks that it is subdominant males and females being really hard to differentiate especially as juveniles.

If you ask me, I would say demand. I'm not sure how many people would like to home pale colored considerably skittish micropredator that requires live food aka females:). Males look literally amazing. It is easy to see many examples of collections of both males and females from the wild even until some species are endangered so I can't think that nicely it is purely being intention to make them breed more in the nature by sparing females.

 

[Guppysnail]

On 8/9/2023 at 9:43 AM, Rube_Goldfish said:

Are most (all?) scarlet badis in the trade wild-caught?

Hazarding a guess at least 75% are probably wild caught. Those in the hobby are being sold by folks who know how hard girls are to get and most likely sell to only friends or charge $$$$$$. 
I was incredibly lucky and got a girl. I gave the group to a friend who is actively trying to breed them. She had spawning last I heard but not certain how she is making out. 
At the time I had too many irons in the ire to work with them. I did not want the hobby to lose a breeding female and that’s why I gave them to her.